


Strawberry Nebula's and a Couple Pancakes

by mitochondrials



Series: tiny reverse bANG! '16 [3]
Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Community: cap_ironman, Fluff, Gen, Kid Tony Stark, minor mention of other avengers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitochondrials/pseuds/mitochondrials
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony ends up de-aged again, but in Steve's mind that's perfectly okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strawberry Nebula's and a Couple Pancakes

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this weeks TRB art, [Long Day](http://nim-lock.tumblr.com/post/148205391984/capim-tinybang-title-long-day-artist-nim-lock), by nim-lock. 

They didn’t know why it happened this time. The infinity stones were supposedly locked safely away for the time being, but yet when Steve woke for his morning run he found a tiny little Tony, his shirt draped over him like a blanket, grumbling at JARVIS into his cereal in the communal kitchen.

“I’m sorry Sir, but it’s uncertain what caffeine would do to you in this state. Most would argue coffee has ill effects on a growing boy.” JARVIS said much to Tony’s apparent displeasure.

“Not even decaf?”

“I’m afraid we do not have any in stock, Sir.”

“Hey,” Steve softly brushed his hand against Tony’s back, careful not to scare the boy. “How about some hot chocolate instead, just between you and me?”

Tony perked up, beaming. “Really!? But what about sugar for breakfast and all that nonsense?”

“Our secret, right?” Steve couldn’t help but grin, covering his lips with his index finger to get his point across.

“Heck yeah!” Tony cheered.

Steve decided to make some pancakes and scrambled eggs too, dissatisfied with the Cheerios Tony was lumped with. He had JARVIS inform the team, hoping to prevent any surprises in case Hulk and Thor felt like destroying the tower before breakfast.

“Lemme see the squirt!” Clint yelled, running through the hallway and skidding across the floor, almost knocking into the counter, shaking the pancake batter. “Hey, wait, how come he gets hot chocolate for breakfast?”

Tony sticks out his tongue. “Cause I’m special~.”

“Oh, you’re special alri--”

“Hawkeye,” Steve sternly cuts in, flipping the eggs over medium. “If you want any pancakes I suggest you take a seat.”

“You can have some if you keep quiet.” Tony said, shuffling for an empty mug and pouring some of his into it for Clint.

Clint grins in approval, quickly sitting right next to Tony. “Oh, yeah, totally. Just the three of us.”

“You should be so lucky.” Steve said.

“Mmm. But we could totally go to the shooting range later and I can teach you how to use the almighty bow. Like my own little hawkling.”

Tony scoffed. “Like I’d wanna do that. I’ve already planned that me and Cap are gonna go on a walk and then I’m gonna show him how to build a robot dog, and then maybe we can make ice cream.”

Steve nodded, handing Tony his food and pouring more pancake into the pan for Clint. “I don’t mind, if that’s what you wanna do Tony, though shooting with Clint does sound awfully fun.”

“Nu-uh.” Tony shook his head. “I was working on building a dog once but school always got in the way. Plus I think I have a better idea on restructuring the skeleton this time. I want Cap to name him … uh. If you, want. I mean.”

“I’d love to.” Steve said, unable to help smiling. He knew feeling smug about Tony choosing him over Clint was ridiculous, but yet he couldn’t help it. “JARVIS, do we own an ice cream maker?”

“I shall proceed to order one, Captain Rogers, along with an extra order of Strawberry Milk,” JARVIS replied.

Tony practically gasped. “Strawberry Milk?”

“Of course, Sir.”

Steve chuckled. “I could have made that instead if I’d known. It’s not as simple, but …”

“No way. You’re hot chocolate’s the best!” Tony shook his head. “I, um, thank you for making it. And breakfast. You don’t have to take me on your walk with you, I, uh, ...” He said, suddenly shy.

Steve reached over to gently ruffle Tony’s hair. “Of course I’d want you to join, and maybe we can go to the park.”

“Woah, really?”

“He’s sorta cute, ya know,” Clint muttered into his pancakes, snickering.

Tony only huffed a breath in annoyance. “Am not. I’m a genius.”

“What, like they’re mutually exclusive? Please. I’m betting you Cap thinks you’re adorable.”

Tony effectively choked on a piece of pancake. “N-no way. Right, Cap?” He asked, growing shy once again, and purposefully staring down at his plate.

Steve bit his lip, pausing because he was suddenly unsure how to answer. It was clear Tony hoped he did; and of course he did. How could he not? Steve always found Tony particularly adorable in the way Tony would have his tongue sticking out of his mouth while lost working on a project, or when Tony would lounge on the couch and use one of the notepads as a face mask when he napped instead of asking JARVIS to shutter the windows. It didn’t really if Tony was a child or an adult. It never would.

“Oh, I think you’re definitely my favorite out of all the kids in the house.” Steve decided to say, smirking mischievously. “Especially when it’s between you and Hawkeye.”

“Hey,” Clint protested. “Playing favorites is bad you know! You really wanna be teaching him that!?”

“I don’t know, you’re like, one of my favorites Hawkeye. Second to Cap, maybe even.” Tony said, mimicking Steve with his own wicked little smile.

“I’d be flattered if you weren’t joking. At least you are joking, cause if you weren’t I’d have to step up to the plate. And while I’d make a super rad, extra cool dad, just the idea of it is sorta making me queasy.”

“Cap’s not my dad, anyway.”

“Dibs. Dibs for here on, high five me my lil hawkling.”

“You’re really into having me as your bird disciple, aren’t you?” Tony questioned, but high-fived Clint regardless.

“I gotta have something against Natasha, don’t I?”

Steve couldn’t help chuckling at the sight of them. A tower full of children indeed.

As the day went on, taking Tony through Central Park and watching him excitedly explain every nut and bolt he planned to use for his surprisingly labrador sized robot dog Steve realized kid Tony and adult Tony weren’t all that different in general. Sure, Tony openly squealed when Thor offered to piggyback him to a state fair and buy them both funnel cake, and he maybe, loudly, fought Clint for a controller in front of the t.v., but he still carried his sense of wonder about the world that his adult self always did.

He still went on tangents and practically swooned when Clint offered to help him build a brand new, absolutely unnecessary telescope so they could try and find the ninth planet (suck it Nasa, Clint had shouted off the roof). Tony’s sense of wonder was one of the best parts of him.

Later, after Clint was supposed to have already put Tony to bed, Steve wasn’t too surprised to hear Tony trodding barefooted across the hall, cracking his door open. “Cap, I’m …”

“It’s alright, Tony, come here,” Steve said, putting aside his tablet and lifting Tony into his arms once Tony hesitantly reached the end of the bed.

“I forgot Jarvis isn’t here anymore … Not like, not like--”

“Shh,” Steve soothed. “I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere. You can stay in here if you’d like.”

Tony settled against his chest, capturing Steve in a loose embrace. “You mean it?”

Steve started gently rubbing his back, nodding. “I promise. And every day until we figure out how to make you big again if that’s what you need.”

“And pancakes?” Tony closed his eyes.

“And pancakes.” Steve agreed, relaxing too.

“You know, Clint insisted one of the Nebula’s we spotted looked like a big, squishy pancake rolled in glitter and fancy powdered sugar.”

Steve couldn’t help but snort. “That sounds like him, alright. I’ll make them pink and purple, to go with our milk.”

“ _ Strawberry _ .” Tony murmured as the both of them drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I just realized I could've been adding these into the TRB collection here on AO3 like a doofus. Aha, oh well. I also have this as a post on my [tumblr](http://mitochondrials.tumblr.com/post/148429232822/strawberry-nebulas-and-a-couple-pancakes) you can reblog if you wanted. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
